Tyre was half flat 10 hours after pumping up

[CanucksTraveller]

Excellent opportunity for a bit of practice then.

Absolutely. My wife had never tried a tube change before, and she's doing a 100k event alone for the first time tomorrow so she really needed to learn... first attempt took 30 minutes, second was much quicker, maybe ten / twelve mins. The third try took only 5 mins.
@united4ever : It really does only take a few goes to get the hang of it.
If in doubt and it's frustrating you, change the tube. Just sometimes, it's not worth saving the 4 quid to spend hours buggering about with buckets of water, tubes of glue and sticky bits of rubber.

 

[Milkfloat]

Back to the OP - you said that the tube was flat whilst you were at work, could someone have let the air out?

 

[Markymark]

Absolutely. My wife had never tried a tube change before, and she's doing a 100k event alone for the first time tomorrow so she really needed to learn... first attempt took 30 minutes, second was much quicker, maybe ten / twelve mins. The third try took only 5 mins.
@united4ever : It really does only take a few goes to get the hang of it.
If in doubt and it's frustrating you, change the tube. Just sometimes, it's not worth saving the 4 quid to spend hours buggering about with buckets of water, tubes of glue and sticky bits of rubber.

It matters little how long it takes but I'd like to be competent at it at home rather than at night in the pouring rain and miles from the paradise of London.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

It matters little how long it takes but I'd like to be competent at it at home rather than at night in the pouring rain and miles from the paradise of London.

True, better to practice in the warm sat on something comfortable. Your valet perhaps. ;-)

Actually, looking back at some other replies it looks like how tight a fit the bead is is a big factor in time / effort taken. Once deflated, wifey's tyre beads require the merest hint of encouragement from a thumb and they're off / on. I've taught her to stretch the tyre away to help, but it's really not needed.

 

[smutchin]

However, these particular tyres are like nothing I have ever encountered. I spent two winters evenings in the workshop trying to "rinse" them back on, had blisters on my thumbs and seemed to pull a muscle in the side of my hand (couldn't write properly for a few days). Tried numerous you tube lessons and asked on cyclechat for help. Nothing got close to getting that last 5 inches of bead over the rim

I ended up calling the bike shop who fitted them to ask how they did it and jimmy there told me to "just use a lever.".. with great care.

What type of lever are you using to get them back on? I recommend a VAR - https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/var-tyre-levers/ - I can get most tyres back on without assistance but these levers are very handy when it comes to refitting a Marathon Plus on a Brompton wheel.

In most cases, it just requires the correct technique - start opposite the valve and work your way round both sides of the tyre simultaneously, wiggling it into the well of the rim and gripping it in place to give yourself as much slack as possible while using your thumbs to keep working the next bit of bead over the rim. Hard to explain, but once you've got it sussed, it makes a big difference.

Using the right size tube (ie not too fat) also helps.

@Globalti - I remember he of the bandaged knee always used to go on about putting talc on your tubes. I need to pop into Boots later anyway so maybe I'll get some. Probably worth having for dusting gluey bits after a puncture repair anyway.

 

[Globalti]

No bike fettler should be without talc. I have even considered buying a 25 kg sack and packaging it up unperfumed for resale.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The very puncture resistant tyre's I use, are nigh on impossible to get back on without levers. The tyre's I've used that weren't so puncture resistant were a doddle to get back on using no levers. I've only had one puncture in over 5 years ( about 40-50000 miles) on the bikes using using M+ And D+ tyre's, the less resistant tyre's get punctures a lot, but they aren't as difficult to get back on, the Tannus tyres can't puncture, and need gorilla strength and massive levers to fit. It's horses for courses.

 

[united4ever]

Got to the bike this morning and it was as flat as a pancake - no time to change tube so got the tram. Will sort it tomorrow when I am in no rush - must try the talc trick too and will try to minimise lever use.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I've got 20" tyres on the front of the recumbent trike. Getting small tyres on and off is a nightmare as they don't stretch enough, no way will they go back without a bit of "Assistance".

And I've got to put one on today as I had a puncture yesterday, didn't have the spare tube I thought I had so I had to buy a repair kit to replace the one I put somewhere safe and can't find.